The Tale of Genji by Shikibu Murasaki Washburn Dennis

Author:Shikibu, Murasaki, Washburn, Dennis
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

He held out his sleeve as proof of his sorrow.

The Third Princess, taking comfort in the fact that he was about to leave, finally managed a reply:

I long to disappear with my sorrows

Into the predawn darkness of the sky

To dismiss all of this as a mere dream

Her fragile voice was youthful and enchanting. Since he had started off while she was speaking, the desire to stay behind and listen to every word she said made him feel as if his soul were leaving his body.

Kashiwagi did not return to his wife’s residence, but made his way quietly to his father’s villa. He tried in vain to go to sleep. Thinking it unlikely that the dream he saw earlier had any chance of coming true, he longingly recalled the image of the cat. He felt terrified and ashamed. How reckless I’ve been. How can I ever show myself at court? He secluded himself and would not go out. Reflecting on the possible consequences of his outrageous behavior—to say nothing of what it might cost the Third Princess—a shudder of fear raced through him. In such a frame of mind, he could no longer bring himself to mingle in the company of other courtiers. Had he committed an offense with one of the Emperor’s wives and the affair was exposed, he would have welcomed the punishment of death, since it would spare him the fear and embarrassment he was experiencing now. Alas, what he had done was not punishable by death, and the prospect of being reviled and shunned by Genji made him afraid and ashamed.

There are examples of women of the absolutely noblest lineage who, though somewhat worldly in the ways of love and calmly gentle on the surface, are so childishly willful at heart that when they are attracted to another man they give themselves to him. The Third Princess, however, did not possess such depth of feeling—indeed, she was extremely timorous by nature and felt awkward and ashamed, as if her clandestine affair had already become grist for the rumor mill at court. Consequently, she could not bring herself to go out to brightly lit rooms where she might be seen, but brooded alone over her miserable fate.

She appeared to be ill, and Genji was informed of her condition. Already deeply preoccupied with Murasaki’s illness, the news alarmed him, and he came to call on her, wondering what new crisis he would have to face. He could not tell exactly what was wrong with her—she seemed uncomfortable and embarrassed and would not look at him directly. He assumed that she was resentful of his neglect, since he had not visited in such a long time. Feeling remorseful, he tried placating her by explaining how serious Murasaki’s condition was.

“This may be the end for her. At a time like this, I simply cannot act as if nothing is amiss. I began looking after her when she was just a child, and so it’s impossible for me to turn away from her now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.